"We don't want them choosing a fuel that could kill or damage their equipment," says Kris Kiser of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.

Kiser says gas pumps are confusing enough for average drivers, but the wrong choice can be disastrous for users of equipment with small engines.

The group has launched a campaign called "look before you pump".

"Whatever gas you could put in the car or pickup truck, you could put in the can. Whatever went in the can could go into your mower, your chainsaw, you generator and your bass boat. For the first time ever, that's not the case," Kiser warns.

In fact, it's illegal to run small engines on anything higher than E-10, even if the EPA says it's okay for the engines of cars and trucks.

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